CAN 2023: Nigeria struggles but advances to final by edging out resilient south africa
Nigeria overcame South Africa on Wednesday at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké, securing their ticket to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations. Pushed to a penalty shootout, the Super Eagles had to battle hard in a match with a crazy scenario.
That’s it! Ivory Coast no longer has the monopoly on crazy match scenarios. Since this Wednesday, the Bouaké stadium can even boast of having hosted the two craziest matches of this CAN 2024. Twists, dramatic tension, suspense in penalty shootouts, etc. After the incredible Ivory Coast-Mali (2-1 a.e.t), we will also remember this Nigeria-South Africa match that played with the hearts of supporters.
Especially for the Nigerians. Because in three minutes, they went from paradise to hell, literally. From a second goal scored by Victor Osimhen to a VAR call that turned it into an equalizer by Mokoena. But it was written that Tehobo Mokoena, who seemed to have ended their dreams of reaching the final, would miss one of the penalty kicks that would definitively send José Peseiro’s men to cloud nine.
Flashback : It was the 86th minute, Osimhen thought he had scored the breakthrough goal after earning the penalty for the opening goal. But VAR came to the rescue of South Africa. On the previous action, indeed, there was a foul in the Nigerian penalty area on Percy Tau. Penalty ! Teboho Mokoena didn’t hesitate to reset the score to 1-1, in the last minute of regulation time (90th).
Nigeria was abruptly brought back down to earth and even risked being punished in the following action, with Awaziem Collins missing the target after Nwabali had dropped the ball from a Mokoena free kick (96th). It went into extra time, and the confidence seemed to have shifted.
Because before that, even without being brilliant, Nigeria had managed to be ahead thanks to Victor Osimhen. The Napoli player earned the penalty for the opening goal by taking responsibility when his team was stuck in the South African net.
The face-off between William Troost-Ekong, already a penalty scorer against Ivory Coast, and Ronwen Williams, who made four saves during the penalty shootout in the round of 16 against Cape Verde, won by the former, was worth watching. But the Nigerian captain’s penalty kick was perfect.
